WRITTEN BY CAITLIN M. DEWICKI
Photo by [Peasant Life]
From Art to Oven: How Great Lakes Pot Pies Came to Be
When you walk into Great Lakes Pot Pies, the first thing that greets you isn’t just the aroma of buttery dough and savory fillings; it's the feeling of comfort that lingers in the air. It’s the warmth of home, wrapped in flaky pastry and filled with care. Founded in 2016 by Jannie Teitelbaum, what began as a simple kitchen experiment soon grew into a Michigan-made legacy of handcrafted gourmet comfort food.
Photo by [Peasant Life]
“It all started because I wanted to do something with food as my next business,” Jannie shared. “I was making healthy bars and cookies, but everyone told me they needed dinners. I’d always loved chicken pot pie, so I started experimenting, and one rainy day, my son Steven said, ‘Why don’t you just make one of those pot pies today?’ So I did. And people loved it. That was it.”
Before food, Jannie was an artist painting wooden bowls, selling ceramics, and even running a jeans business. Creativity has always been at her core. But when she began baking, she found her next canvas: a golden crust, brushed with care, ready to be filled with something special.
Photo by [Peasant Life]
Every Pie Crafted by Hand
Inside the Clawson storefront, each pie begins with care. From the perfectly pressed dough to the hand-filled ingredients that make every bite taste homemade. Using locally sourced ingredients and time-tested recipes, the Great Lakes Pot Pies team ensures every creation meets USDA certification standards while delivering signature handcrafted comfort. “We’ve spent a lot of time making sure our pie tastes good,” Jannie explained. “When you cut a slice of our chicken pot pie, it doesn’t fall apart like some others…it holds together, it’s hearty, it’s full. And our crust is flavored too.”
The menu today includes classic chicken pot pies, gluten-free and vegan options, personal-sized pies, hand pies, and the popular cinnamon sugar pie chips. At Woodward Corner Market, shoppers can find some of Great Lakes Pot Pies’ best sellers, including their large and personal-sized chicken pies, and those irresistible sweet pie chips that make the perfect cozy snack.
“The best-selling everywhere is the personal-sized chicken pot pie,” Jannie said. “That’s the most popular in our store, too.”
Photo by [Peasant Life]
Comfort for Every Season
While pot pies are the ultimate cold-weather comfort food, Jannie has found that Great Lakes Pot Pies are beloved year-round. Families reach for them during busy school weeks, while others stock up on breakfast hand pies, a grab-and-go favorite that’s as convenient as it is delicious.
“Comfort food is really good in cold weather, and chicken pot pie is the perfect comfort food,” Jannie said. “But we’re busy all year because of our hand pies. They’re great for kids, for snacks, for anyone who wants something warm and easy. ”
Each pie is designed to go from freezer to oven to table, a slogan proudly displayed on their boxes. In under an hour, you can turn a long day into a cozy night in, filled with the smell of buttery crust and savory filling. “You get home, turn on the oven, and by the time you’ve changed clothes or taken a shower, you’ve got a warm chicken pot pie waiting for you,” Jannie said. “All you had to do was take off the plastic and put it in the oven.”
And for locals who just can’t wait, the Clawson team will even bake your pie ahead of time if you call an hour in advance, so you can pick it up hot and ready to go.
Photo by [Peasant Life]
Rooted in Community, Loved Across Michigan
Beyond their kitchen, Great Lakes Pot Pies is woven into the fabric of their local community. Jannie and her small but mighty team of nine have built deep relationships with their customers, local schools, and neighborhood organizations. “We do a lot of fundraisers, schools, Neighborhood House, and local chambers of commerce,” Jannie said. “We just try to connect with people. I love that we have regulars who come in every week. We know them by name.”
Photo by [Peasant Life]
That community spirit also shines through their collaborations. The team has created fun, limited-edition pies inspired by local businesses, like a hamburger pot pie (complete with fries and pickles) and seasonal favorites such as Thanksgiving in a Pie or Shepherd’s Pie for St. Patrick’s Day in the spring.
“We’ve done some collaborations with local places where we took their products and put them in a pie,” Jannie said. “It’s fun, and we all share it on social media. We’ve even done spaghetti pie…it was a big hit.”
Photo by [Peasant Life]
Looking Ahead: What’s Next for Great Lakes Pot Pies
As the brand continues to grow, Jannie and her team are experimenting with even more creative flavors, particularly in their pie chip line, which is expanding to include fruity, dessert-inspired varieties like blueberry, cherry, and apple. “We’ve got new pie chip flavors coming,” she teased. “Probably three or four new pie flavors, like blueberry or cherry. Once we get through the holidays, we’ll have some new limited-time flavors. We’ve got a whole list.”
Despite challenges like rising food costs and supply logistics, Jannie’s passion for quality and creativity has never wavered. Her team’s dedication allows them to produce a remarkable volume of pies for both retail and wholesale customers, including QVC and Amazon, while keeping that small-batch, homemade taste intact.
“It’s really not how many workers you have,” she reflected. “It’s the quality of people. We produce a lot of volume for a small place because everyone works so hard.”
Photo by [Peasant Life]
A Michigan Favorite at Woodward Corner Market
At Meijer’s Woodward Corner Market, you can find Great Lakes Pot Pies in the freezer section of the meat department. Ready to bring warmth, comfort, and handcrafted goodness to your kitchen. Whether you’re picking up a classic chicken pot pie for family dinner or cinnamon sugar pie chips for a sweet snack, you’re not just buying a meal; you’re bringing home a taste of Michigan’s small-business spirit.
Photo by [Peasant Life]
“We really appreciate our local customers,” Jannie said warmly. “People come in and tell us their friends said these are the best pot pies, and we love that. The support means everything to us.”
So the next time you stop by Woodward Corner Market, take home a Great Lakes Pot Pie. Let the aroma of something nostalgic and heartwarming fill your home, because this isn’t just a product—it’s a pot pie with a story centered around comfort, connection, and community, one golden crust at a time.